Russia Bolsters Influence In Kyrgyzstan As US Nears Airbase Exit
Vladimir Putin is getting most of what he wants out Kyrgyzstan, including a lease extension on a Russian airbase and part ownership of a torpedo plant, while America's star there is on the wane. READ MORE
Russian Foreign Ministry misinterpreted Ambassador McFaul's statements about Manas - U.S. State Department Spokesperson
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs misunderstood or misinterpreted the statements made by U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul at the meeting with a group of the Higher School of Economics in Moscow, said Victoria Nuland, Spokesperson of U.S. Department of State, at the daily press briefing in Washington on May 29. READ MORE
US Envoy Sees Closer Moscow Ties After Putin's Election
U.S. Ambassador Michael McFaul, long an advocate of democracy in Russia, arrived in Moscow two months ago, and he walked straight into a groundswell of anti-Americanism. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was running for president and his supporters accused the new ambassador of supporting anti-Putin street protests. Putin won the election easily three weeks ago, and now McFaul talks about where he thinks U.S.-Russia relations go from here. READ MORE
Interview: McFaul On U.S., Russian Stereotypes And His Controversial Co-Chair
The first meeting of the U.S.-Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission’s Civil Society Working Group was held in Washington on January 27. The group is part of a larger effort begun last summer by U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to reset relations between the two countries and explore new opportunities for partnership. The two co-chairs of the group are Michael McFaul, special assistant to Obama and senior director for Russian affairs at the National Security Council, and Vladislav Surkov, first deputy chairman of the Russian presidential administration. READ MORE